On Screws (Not Really, Not What You Think)

Practicals are over and done with. For the first time in my life, I think I screwed them up, for Physics especially. Also, when I say it's bad, it's bad. Big time bad.

So why is it Bad (yes, it has to be capitalised)? Firstly, I didn't have time to even understand what I'm doing; and secondly, I think my measurements were all wrong. Which would mean that the further calculations were wrong too, and those constitutes to all the marks for everything else.

So I gather if I have them all wrong, I'll only obtain marks from the graph, the investigation question, and the precaution question - but only because those are theory-practical, and not really practical-practical.

Chemistry, on the other hand... I had the titration correct, but the cations I'm still in limbo about, since I've asked around and no one has definite answers, which in all essence is really bad. Some of us got zinc, others got aluminium. My observations and volumetric analysis should garner me some deserved marks, so I'm not too worried about Chemistry as I am about Physics.

Tsk. So, what's new? I got an iPod, which I've named Shotgun: Cookie for those who know where this comes from! It's the 60GB, video, black. Veeeery sleek. Veeeery nice. I love it to bits. -hugs- People reading this should recommend songs to me. I've only got about 679 English songs, plus around ... uh, 10 Chinese songs comparatively.

I am a spoilt brat in essence and in nature, because I now want an iBook, or a Powerbook, or a PowerMac, or an iMac... You get the idea. I am now completely Apple-fied. Oh, and iTunes music cards will be very good.

I hardly update this blog, do I? My more private rants, almost daily (or at least once every four days) are on Livejournal, so if you've got an account there and I want to let you read it, just give me a tap on the shoulder over MSN or email, or something. I know, I know, pretence of elitism on the friends-locked entries but I do not just want random people to read what I think about controversial topics.

I love Shotgun.

On A Tribute to the School

It's hardly what it seems. Typed entirely in 10 minutes or so as a spur-of-the-moment thing, and no artistic licence at all. Been a long time since I wrote a poem.

four years gone and
(what is in my opinion)
tarnished minds and corrupted views
propaganda and suppression with
your ever-vigilant officers
of the so-called laws

with shrieks of the whistle
over the bloody PA system
and "..do the right thing”
reverberating through our ears
with echoes of chatter slowly
building up through all
six floors of the building

it used to be four but we shifted
across the street it seemed better
but visions clash and planes crash1
and the unorthodox displays were out to scare 'em
of 'science block!' and 'aesthetics block!' (now, hmm, where is the Drama Studio...)
and of course
the all-important 'classroom block!'

teachers come in
and out
and in and out again
of the classroom with the same frown
on their faces as they shake their heads.
"When are they going to clean up
their classrooms?"
but nothing said mattered anyway

yells of 'gooooooal!' float from the canteen-
no, wait, it's the volleyball-court-turned-soccer-court!
boys from all levels seem to bond
(and some girls, too)
kicking the same ball
seriousness etched on their features

glass broke and all heads turn
to that sheepish boy who broke the burette
"$7 please!"
then came the bunsen burner
which screw came loose
and caused much havoc and chaos
as the girls shrieked while the flame
swayed from side to side
licking at the test-tube

at the end of the day
as the bell rings (two minutes late, we timed)
some of them drone on and on
and deprive you of those vital minutes
and you walk briskly to the bus stop...
"shucks" are muttered (albeit more vulgarly)
as buses leave and files explode

we look back at our school years
(they're, uh, supposed to be our prime years)
and even though we've been kicked
suppressed and tortured
physically, mentally, psychologically, metaphorically...

maybe i'll even miss you

1 No planes were harmed in the typing of this: I swear.

On Prophet Five

I know I said I won't watch. I know I said I'll leave the fandom when he dies (which he did, by the way). I know I said I'll stop associating myself with the show and everybody else except for Michael and Mia.

Somehow I broke those promises; my will is too weak.

I started the episode with dread, of his death, of everything else (destroying the dynamics, destroying whatever is left for Alias that is good, destroying his character...) and as I closed my player, I ended the episode with dread as well. Spoiler-unfriendly people can skip the following cut-text.

--> Synopsis starts here

Started off where it left off, even though they've re-filmed the car scene so it doesn't make a lot of sense; I loved the actual, original one better. They took out the "It depends on who you ask" line from Vaughn, and the time for Sydney to react was at least 4 seconds more than the original one. Impact wasn't as big when the car appeared out of nowhere.

Some officers came, but Sydney grew suspiscious of the guns in their barrels etc, so she tried to escape while Vaughn - wearing jeans, hot! - got stretchered off in a helicopter while he was unconscious. Granted, at this point of time, I was watching more closely on how they tried to cover up for Garner's pregnancy and must say, was pretty impressed with the stunt double.

At the hospital, this annoying guy called Dean Gordon spoke to Sydney, about the crash and where her 'loyalties lie', and she got way pissed until Director Jack comes in. Um, I mean, daddy Jack. Said they had to "go over her story" because there had been several "red flags" on "Vaughn's conduct".

Cut to Vaughn. His shoulder is dislocated and he's sitting in the most adorable position that made me just want to go up to the screen to hug him. Eh. Well. Something about a guy called Lenore, and some codes, and then torture -ouch- and finally he escaped by jumping into a rubbish chute and running off. Called Sydney, told her to bring his father's watch -argh I hate it that they used this; almost made the "My father told me to set my heart to this watch. It stopped October 1st. The day we met." (Paraphrasing, I can't really remember exactly how that scene went) sound planned- to the deaddrop location. She said she'll think about it. Gasp. Dean Gordon guy wanted to know where he was. Sydney said, Mexico City. Before that there was this Dixon scene which was well placed, methought, nice partners and all.

Well anyway, we've got this parallel situation where Dean guy went to Mexico City, and Sydney to the deaddrop location where he was trying to look for the watch. She asked him to start with his name. He said Andre Michaux. Hmm. Not digging the name exactly, but it'll do anyway. They went to meet Lenore person, then they went to Cape Town, and this is where the fun part begins. You know, the part where Garner had to cover up the pregnancy again. I guffawed many, many times but nevermind.

(She held a scarf over her hand trying to shield her stomach.)

So they pretended to be French, with nice accents and all and it was cute, really. I mean, flufffff. Really, really fluff and I want to cry just looking at the scene. They start waltzing to Sleeping Beauty, and there's this really nice fluffy banter about practicing for their wedding and such. My heart is breaking, can you hear?

There's this annoying girl who showed too much cleavage but I don't like her anyway, so I shall skip her since it's irrelevant to my narrating here. Anyway, they were going to their extraction point when Sydney's phone rang, and it's her nice Doctor man, who told her "You'll want to know this" when she said "Now isn't really the best time for this!"

Cut to Vaughn running to the extraction point as well and taking off his jacket -rawr- when Sydney snapped her phone close and said, "The doctor called. I'm pregnant." and he said "What?" very softly. Hahahahhahahaha.

In the car. "Are we going to sit here not telling each other the one thing on our minds?" or something like that, and here my heart broke again, pah. Sydney asked if he wanted the baby. He said no, he doesn't want to because he doesn't want the baby to be born in such a terrible world where they've seen the evils of it, but then he looks at her and think what a beautiful little person it'll be for them to care after, and it was really a nice moment; Sydney joked about having Marshall to teach her how to change the diapers and all.

Lenore person arrives, and in a parallel situation annoying newcomer #1 cracked Marshall's encoded Vaughn files, allowing Dean guy to know the location of Sydney and Vaughn. Bang bang bang x20 after, Vaughn collapsed to the floor and there's this train in between Sydney and Vaughn, thus making it virtually impossible for her to jump over the train since she's pregnant now and all. Hahahahaha. She said, "Oh god", and that's all (Re: Danny's death and her screaming does not equate to this reaction).

Hospital. Jack comes in, slightly pissed. Sydney said, "Vaughn and I, we're having a baby." and that silenced him, causing him to say "I'll do whatever I can." Once again, paraphrased since I can't really remember. :P Doctor comes out, and in the medically miraculous world of Alias, where Michael Vaughn can even survive 2 rounds of machine gun shots without dying on the spot immediately, Vaughn's organs are all malfunctioning but the doctors will have to wait til 24 hours later before they can make a correct dignosis. So Jack calls the APO gang and they set up passports, visas etc for Vaughn to get into WitSec or something of that sort. Makes one go hmmmmmmm.

Hospital bed. Sydney gives Vaughn something to drink from a straw. Another hmmm. Then a really cute but heartbreaking exchange about baby names. Owen sounds like a gerbil (All along I was thinking "Michael Owen", hahahahaha -shutupjalyn-), Clementine is cute as a fruit and a campsong, but Isabelle Bristow-Vaughn strikes up a chord for them. She kisses him on the forehead, then on the lips, goes to look out the window. And...

HE BLOODY FLATLINES.

I was like "Oh gosh what what what what?" and then Sarah McLachlan's Dirty Little Secret (really nice song, I've got the CD so if anyone wants the MP3 feel free to ask me to upload it wherever) played through the funeral and there I was, bawling my eyes out.

The end.

My thoughts about it? Quite simply, I don't know whether to believe he's really dead, or Alias-dead. I mean,look at Irina, look at Allison, look at Sydney, not to forgot Helix (aw I hate project Helix, I sure do) and now Prophet Five, something about 'amino acids and proteins' etc, biology stuff. I wouldn't be surprised -if- Vartan returns to film a few episodes proving that Vaughn is only Alias-dead.

Evidence?

1. Songs played; Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, and McLachlan's Dirty Little Secret. Look at the context behind the songs/lyrics.
2. APO was already planning for Vaughn's extraction, something that will be done when his condition is stable.
3. The looks between Jack and Sydney in the last few scenes. I mean. Hello. Just watch it again. You can almost see him NOD.
4. Nobody stays dead on Alias, anyway, with the exception of the cow (read: Lauren).
5. That sip of water, the face Vaughn made, all made me think "OOH RAMBALDI GREEN GOO".
6. Dude, Sydney didn't even cry as hard as when Danny died. Seriously. I think I cried more than her.
7. While I know that churches do close up the caskets during processions and stuff, I think I'll rather much believe in the "His body isn't in there, that's why."
8. MARSHALL DIDN'T CRY, or bawl, or jump on somebody.
9. "I'll do anything to help you both," so says Jack. There.
10. Sark is coming back. Sarkie needs Vaughnie to play with. 'Nuff said.
11. Because Michael Vaughn is too gorgeous to die.

I've actually got more conspiracy theories to sprout out, but eh, time permits and I can't waste anymore time rewatching the episode and risk bawling my eyes out again. Sheeesh.

edit: Here's Dirty Little Secret, listen to it and bawl like I did!

Also, note to myself: STOP READING 5x01 FICS IF THEY JUST MAKE YOU CRY AND CRY. And stop writing fic. You have to go study social studies NOW. Yes.